Galatians 5:16-26 I wondered whether Paul penned these “fruits of the Spirit” (vv. 22-23) in a particular order or if he just rattled them off in his letter. But as I imagined these fruits to be a particular ordering by him, I wondered at some reasoning behind his ordering and put together some thoughts. Love …
Monthly Archives: March 2020
March 11 / Gal. 5:1-15
Galatians 5:1-15 Although there’s a lot of good material in today’s reading, I found myself hung up on this one verse: But if I, brothers, still preach circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross has been removed. (v. 11) As worded, that verse was very confusing to …
March 10 / Gal. 4:21-31
Galatians 4:21-31 In verses 22-26 Paul “equates” Hagar (and Mt. Sinai and the Law) with the “present Jerusalem” (the Judaizers and the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem) and he “equates” Isaac (God’s promise to Abraham) with the “Jerusalem above” (those of the new Christian faith). It’s a good allegory, clearly designed to encourage his readers to …
March 9 / Gal. 4:12-20
Galatians 4:12-20 It is often confusing to know what Paul means in his epistles, since he is writing letters to people and congregations and we don’t always know what occurred beforehand to which he is responding. For example, in the first two verses of today’s reading we have “Become as I am…”; “You did me …
March 8 / Gal. 4:1-11
Galatians 4:1-11 …when we were children, [we] were enslaved to the elementary principles (i.e., rudimentary teachings (NASB), referred to as “weak and worthless” in verse 9) of the world. But…God sent forth His Son…to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. (vv. 4-5) To be born under …
March 7 / Gal 3:15-29
Galatians 3:15-29 As with yesterday I see a key verse: For if a law had been given that could give life, then righteousness would indeed be by the law. (v. 21) Essentially, the Law could not give life; realistically, it could only give death. See the next verse: But the Scripture has shut up everyone …
March 6 / Gal. 3:1-14
Galatians 3:1-14 Paul spends a lot of words to get to his one main point: Does He who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith… (v. 5). He clearly lays out his argument – it is the Holy Spirit working …
March 5 / Gal. 2:11-21
Galatians 2:11-21 One of the all-time Christian memory verses, I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for …
March 4 / Gal. 2:1-10
Galatians 2:1-10 One quick comment – Paul will frustrate you with his parenthetical expressions (vv. 2, 4, 6, 8; occasionally comments set off by dashes instead of parentheses). These side comments can easily distract you from his main point in the rest of the sentence. So my advice to you is to jump over these …
March 3 / Galatians 1:11-24
Galatians 1:11-24 Paul again defends his apostleship here, in three parts. First, …the gospel that was preached by me is not man’s gospel. For I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ. (vv. 11-12) Here Paul is claiming “divine revelation”, …